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USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance 2024 Review
USAA Medigap is an option worth considering, but it does little to stand out from competitors.
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Written by Alex Rosenberg
Lead Writer
The bottom line: While most USAA products are offered to current and former U.S. military members, anyone can buy its Medicare Supplement Insurance. USAA’s not a bad option, but competitors can often offer a wider variety of Medigap plan types, lower prices and/or more extra perks. Jump to: Full Review
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USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance pros and cons
Pros
Military-focused advice: Because USAA members have military connections, it offers tools and resources tailored for current and former service members’ financial issues and questions.
Cons
Limited plan selection: USAA offers only Medigap Plan A, Plan G and Plan N for new Medicare members in most states, plus Plan F for those who qualify.
Pricing: USAA policies are often significantly more expensive than alternatives available in the same location.
Few discounts and perks: USAA doesn’t match competitors’ offerings for premium discounts or perks, such as gym memberships or hearing and vision products.
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Our full review
Why trust NerdWallet
USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance rating
USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance earned 3 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account pricing, coverage options, online quote availability, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance plans
USAA generally offers three Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types for purchase by any Medicare member:
Medigap Plan A — the basic benefits included in every Medigap plan without any extras.
Medigap Plan G — the highest-coverage option available to new Medicare members.
Medigap Plan N — a plan with lower premiums but higher copays.
USAA also offers Medigap Plan F for qualifying beneficiaries who were eligible to enroll in Medicare prior to 2020. Newer Medicare members can’t buy these plans from any company.
USAA offers additional plan types in some states. Select your state on USAA’s website to see the Medigap plan types available in your location.
💬 From our Nerds: Is USAA a good Medicare Supplement Insurance company?
“USAA isn’t a bad Medigap option, but it’s not a phenomenal one, either. In previous years, USAA had appreciably lower complaint rates than most competitors. That’s no longer the case in 2024 after incorporating the most recent data, leaving USAA without a compelling stand-out feature.
“With 3 out of 5 stars on NerdWallet’s Medigap rubric, USAA falls in the middle of the pack. It couldn’t hurt to get a quote for comparison’s sake, but other competitors might offer lower prices, bigger discounts, lower complaint rates and/or better bundled perks.“
Note: Since Medigap plan options can vary by location, it’s a good idea to do your research, compare multiple quotes and consider working with a licensed insurance agent for more personalized recommendations.
— Alex Rosenberg, lead writer covering Medicare
Cost for USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance
USAA’s Medicare Supplement Insurance premiums tend to be on the higher side. In estimates obtained for this review, USAA’s Medigap Plan G premiums were about 32% higher than the cheapest alternative available in the same location, and its Plan N premiums were about 57% higher.
How we evaluate Medigap companies’ prices
Plan G
USAA price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | $159. | $148. |
Atlanta | $189. | $125. |
Dallas | $150. | $109. |
Plan N
USAA price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | $152. | $114. |
Atlanta | $163. | $95. |
Dallas | $137. | $82. |
Discounts
Some Medicare Supplement Insurance companies might offer premium discounts to qualifying enrollees who, for example, bundle multiple kinds of insurance, set up autopay or live with another adult who has a Medigap policy from the same company.
In certain locations, USAA offers a discount on premiums when two or more USAA Medigap members live in the same household.
USAA member complaints
3% fewer complaints than average
Members file complaints about Medicare Supplement Insurance policies from USAA 3% less often than the average for all Medigap plans. This is according to 2022 and 2023 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for USAA.
NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
USAA’s spending on care
78.1% for member benefits
USAA spent about 78.1% of premiums on member benefits, according to the most recent annual data. (The other 21.9% went to overhead expenses like administrative costs, marketing, salaries and commissions.) For comparison, the average for all companies is 80.4%.
Medicare Supplement Insurance companies must report data on the premiums they collect and how much they spend to provide benefits for members. The minimum required by law for individual Medigap policies is 60%.
Additional benefits
Medigap plans have standardized Medicare benefits, but insurance companies can offer additional perks. While some competitors offer extra benefits like gym memberships or discounts on hearing aids and eyewear, USAA doesn’t publicize similar extras for its Medicare Supplement Insurance policies.
USAA does offer certain perks and discounts on products and services to its members, but these are available regardless of whether the member holds a USAA Medigap policy.
USAA Medicare Supplement Insurance service area
USAA offers Medicare Supplement Insurance policies in 45 states and Washington, D.C. (USAA doesn’t offer Medigap policies in Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York or Wisconsin.)
USAA covers about 156,000 Medigap beneficiaries and has about a 1.2% share of the total Medicare Supplement Insurance market.
USAA Medigap customer service
Here’s how USAA Medigap members can contact customer service:
Call USAA customer support at 210-531-8722 or 800-531-8722, Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time.
Chat with a virtual assistant on USAA’s Contact Us website.
Compare Medicare Supplement Insurance companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Supplement Insurance companies. These insurers offer Medigap plans in most states, but specifics may vary depending on your location.
About USAA
USAA was founded in 1922 by Army officers in order to insure one another’s vehicles. Its headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas. Today, the company offers banking, investing, insurance and other financial services to its 13 million members. Members include current and former U.S. military personnel and their spouses and children.
Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan
Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any company offering the plan. So when you shop, keep these considerations in mind to find the best policy to fit your needs:
Is your preferred plan available? Health insurance companies don’t always sell every plan, so check who sells the plan you want to buy in your area.
What are the premiums? Prices for the same plan can vary between companies, so check to find the most competitive rates.
Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some companies offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.
Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but in certain cases, some companies include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.
If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
USAA
Unlike most USAA products, its Medigap policies are available to anyone. But prices can be high, and there are few discounts or extra perks compared to some competitors.
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Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
Close to expected
Premium discounts available
Below average
Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
Close to expected
Premium discounts available
Below average
Pros
- Military-focused tools and resources.
Cons
- Only Plans A, G, and N offered for new Medicare members.
- Higher premiums in most locations.
- Few discounts or extra health and wellness perks.
Medicare Supplement Insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ratings are based on pricing, discounts, plan types offered, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer experience, additional perks and benefits, and more. To calculate each health insurance company's rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale, rounded to the nearest half star.
NerdWallet reviewed 15 Medicare Supplement Insurance companies based on highest enrollment and greatest online search volume. At the national level, our scored reviews include companies covering about two-thirds of all Medigap beneficiaries. At the state level, our research includes at least one of the two largest Medigap insurance companies in 48 of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for Medicare Supplement Insurance.
Insurer complaints methodology
We examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, we calculated a similar index for each insurance company, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary. We score companies based on this index of how many complaints the company receives relative to its market share. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
